


Our Dad's an Iron Dad

by xxdrarryrebellexx



Series: The Heart of an Iron Dad [2]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers Endgame Fix it, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Domestic, Endgame was wrong, Iron Family, Irondad, Multi, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Has Panic Attacks, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Tony and I are all just bitter and full of feelings, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Team Cap Critical, Tony Stark Acting as Harley Keener's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Acting as Nebula's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Has Nightmares, Tony Stark Has Panic Attacks, Tony Stark Has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Tony Stark Has Self-Esteem Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Two Fics Later and That Movie is Still Garbage, and what about it, dont @ me cause im not listening, i dont think its too bad but as long as i dont say i hate cap i feel like its nice enough, i have sO MANY FEELINGS, it didn't happen, nothing but domestic fluff and feelings, peter parker has post-traumatic stress disorder, remember when avenger fics were just everyone living in the tower/compound, so I'm continuing to fix it, this is literally so domestic, we're going back to that AGAIN
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:28:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 20,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21637360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxdrarryrebellexx/pseuds/xxdrarryrebellexx
Summary: [ sequel to A Dad of Iron Will  ]Tony's retired. Mostly.He brought his kid back (and half the population with him), but it's been months since he and Pepper have had a full house. Now Harley's home and Peter's back and not even Tony knows what they'll do when the baby gets here.Welcome to the domestic life, Iron Dad!
Series: The Heart of an Iron Dad [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1559599
Comments: 76
Kudos: 221





	1. [ one ]

Tony is in his lab when the boys wake up the next morning. It's clear that they've parted ways to brush their teeth, shower, and get dressed, because they're talking amicably as they walk in, going straight for the wall of inventions.

Harley points out the green plastic contraption near the top.

"That was my original potato gun model. I got it to fire up to 280 mph."

"No way!" Peter says looking back at him. " _You're_ Tennessee? You saved him from the Mandarin."

"I just let him use my shed." Harley's voice is clear and nonchalant but the blush on his face is obvious.

"You fixed my suit, kid. Saved my life," Tony cuts in. He hadn't been a part of either boys' life until well after conception but they are just as mentally and emotionally stunted as he is. He looks at Harley, who he told to not be a pussy about his father leaving when he was just a kid. He looks at Peter, who May has told him was a small eight year old behind an Iron Man mask going up alone against one of Justin Hammer's robots. He wonders if their problems have always been his fault.

"Oh no," Harley says throwing a ball of paper at Tony's face. "He's thinking."

"Nothing good ever comes from that," Peter agrees jokingly. "Out of the lab, Mr. Stark. Children's orders."

"And what makes you think you can get me out of here, Underoos?"

"He's stronger than you," Harley says as if it's obvious.

"And me and Harley's combined puppy eyes are even stronger than _that_ ," Peter adds. "Plus I'm hungry and May and Pep both already left for work."

"Bested before I could even argue, huh? Why did I want kids again?"

"Ouch," Peter says, a hand on his chest playfully. "It's almost like you needed someone to take care of you in your old age."

"You forgot senile." Harley smirked.

"He's right. In your old _senile_ age."

After the correction the boys high five, both wearing wicked grins on their faces.

"This senile old man can also ground both of you from working in the lab." The threat is as flimsy as it sounds and they all know it, but Peter protests anyway just for an excuse to grab onto Tony's arm and happily pull him along while Harley follows them into the living room, plopping onto the couch. FRIDAY turns the TV on for background noise more than anything else.

"Ma says her and Ava are probably going to head back out sometime tomorrow. Don't want to miss too much work or school or whatever." Harley shrugs when he says it, but Peter can see that it's kind of tough for them to be thinking of going home even though he's just got them back. Harley looks back up and keeps going. "Whenever your lawyers are done with the paperwork she says you can just mail it back. Should I— I mean I'm glad to be here, but..."

Peter had only just met Harley so of course he's never seen him cry, but there's a part of him that thought he never would. That Harley would be the strong one between them. Seeing the boy cry and still push forward not an ounce of embarrassment on his face, Peter realizes that Harley's even _stronger_.

"Hey, hey, hey," Tony says pulling him off the couch and in for a hug. "Harls, what's going on?"

"They were dead. Gone. For months a-and now Ma...I mean, she's just happy to throw me on you. I'm happy to be here, I _am_. But first my dad didn't want me and now she's pushing me away too and— listen, I know I'm being a pussy about this, okay? But I just— is there something wrong with me?"

"Kid, you are not being a pussy about this. _God_ , I never should have told you that. I just didn't know how to deal with emotions then. I still don't, but we're going to get better at that together, okay? I promise."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Harley," Tony says nudging the blonde head to look him in the eyes. "Your mother loves you. She's doing this _because_ she loves you, because she wants you to have the best opportunities out there, because she knows that I can afford it."

"You shouldn't have to pay for everything," argues Harley, as he's started wiping the tear tracks from his face. "I could get a job."

"Oh yeah?" challenges Tony, looking over at Peter as if to say _do you believe this kid_.

"Mr. Delmar is hiring! He still hasn't gotten a steady staff back since he got the new place," Peter adds in and although he says it like a tease, it's an honest spot if Harley really wants a job. "Best sandwiches in Queens."

"See!" Harley says like that solves everything. "I could be serving the best sandwiches in Queens!"

"If you really want to get a job, kid, no one's stopping you, but that money is yours. There's no helping with grocery or saving up for school. All that's covered."

"Bu—"

"No buts."

"He coddles because he cares," Peter jokes from his corner of the couch, laughing.

"Don't make me come over there, Parker," Tony says, arm still around Harley.

"Sir, yes, sir!"

"Hey," starts Tony. He has his idea face on and Peter narrows his eyes at him. "Why don't both of you see about working at Delmar's? Harley could get his independence and _you_ could show him around the area."

"That's actually a really good idea, Dad!"

"I have a few of those every now and then."

Harley laughs at that and it's as if he'd never broken down in the first place and Peter thinks that he may be the strongest kid he knows to accept his feelings like that. Peter wonders if he can ask for a lesson or two on being _okay_ after dying and not knowing how to voice it. Instead he smiles.

"We could actually head out now before it gets too late, right?" he asks excitably. "School starts next week and—" Peter freezes. "He's coming with me to Midtown, right?"

"Of course he is," Tony agrees. "Best STEM school in the state and I wouldn't split you two up; Pep would murder me."

"Not if we did first," Harley says with a smirk and crossed arms.

"Okay, that was ominous. No more lab time today. For either of you. Pete, Happy can drop you and Harley off at Delmar's and pick you up later from May's if that's alright with her."

"It's fine, Dad. We can walk from here and Happy can pick us up from Mr. Delmar's. May works late tonight and she thinks I'm staying over here. I don't want to scare the life out of her. She come back alive just to kill me too."

"Fair enough. Keep your phones on."

"Okay," says Peter at the same time Harley says: "Yep!"

Tony chuckles at his boys. Because he can say that now. _His sons_. The paperwork for Harley's adoption is in the works and he's already talked to May about it for Peter even if they've already got a pretty sweet co-parenting gig going on.

His chest isn't tight. There's no pain. He smiles.


	2. [ two ]

"Hi, Mr. Delmar!" Peter says happily as he jogs over to the front counter, grabbing a couple of bags of sour gummy worms. Harley is a few cautious steps behind him but he can tell that it's more out of nervousness than fear.

"Hey, Mr. Parker, you want your usual?"

"Yes, please and could you add—"

"Pickles? And squish it flat?" Mr. Delmar laughs at Peter's small smile and nod. "We got you, kid. No worries. How's your aunt?"

"She's fine."

"And who is this?" Mr. Delmar says, turning his head slightly to face Harley who is taller than Peter but still seems to want to shrink and hide behind him.

"Oh!" says Peter, brightening up more. "This is my brother, Harley. Harley Keener."

"Tu hermano?" Delmar says thoughtfully, then he shrugs. "Nice to meet you, Harley. What can I get you?"

"Same as Pete, I guess," Harley says looking up at the board while rubbing the back of his neck. His accent feels thicker in the midst of all these New Yorkers. He scrunches up his nose and shakes his head. "No pickles."

"Oh! And we were wondering if you still had those spots open for after school help?" Peter says with a hopeful smile.

Mr. Delmar looks them both up and down as if appraising their skills without even having to see their skills, then nods decisively.

"Yeah, still need a couple of sandwich delivery runners. You boys up for it? It's not too hard."

"Whatever you need, sir," Harley says with a nod of his own. Mr. Delmar looks him over again before a smile raises the corner of his lips. He grabs the sandwiches and slides the bags across the counter. Peter goes to grab for cash out of his pocket but the man shakes his head.

"It's on the house."

"You're sure?" Peter looks sad to not be able to give back to a shop that's fighting it's way back because of him.

"Yeah, use it to have a good weekend. You both start Monday."

"Really?" Peter says excited. "Thanks so much Mr. Delmar!" And he still stuffs the ten dollars in the tip jar with a wicked grin. Harley snorts a laugh as Peter jogs back to the door

"Thank you, sir." Harley says quietly turning to face the man properly.

"Welcome to New York, Mr. Keener. Now go get Parker before he breaks my window again!" Delmar says, raising his voice for Peter to hear the end of it.

"I was 7 and it was an _accident_! I didn't know a bike could do that much damage."

"It was nice to meet you, Mr. Delmar." Harley says before going over to where Peter is pouting and dragging him from the building.

When they're a bit down the block Peter lets out a puff of air.

"I wish he wouldn't do that."

"Do what?"

"I think he figured out I'm Spiderman," Peter says, but that doesn't seem to be the part that has him bummed out. "Ever since I saved him from the fire, he won't let me pay for anything. But it's my fault his shop got destroyed in the first place."

"You want Dad to make an anonymous donation?"

"You think he would do that for me? It's just— I know it's not like _super_ important or anything and I mean—" He stops talking when he notices Harley has stopped walking next to him and is standing on the sidewalk gaping at him. "What?"

"Pete, he'd do _anything_ for you. You know that right? He brought back half the universe for you! He looks at you like you hung the fucking stars, man."

"I-" Peter shakes his head. "I never thought I'd live up to all the stories he told about _you_ , to be honest. You should know he looks at you like that too."

"Oh god," says Harley walking again, trying to keep the blush from his face. "Our dad's a fucking sap."

Peter's laughter carries them back to the tower.

\--:--

Tony doesn't know where he is.

He was in the lab but then he started walking around when the boys left and... It's _his_ tower. He should know it like the back of his hands, but he's also kind of-slightly-possibly- _definitely_ panicking and he can't figure out which door is which and why there are suddenly so many. He sits in the hall with a thump.

He doesn't have the energy to call FRIDAY or even hear her if she were to respond, but he can hear the thump of boots on the ground coming closer and he wishes it wasn't so fucking ominous. Wishes he wore the nano casing on his chest. Wishes he had his watch on. Wishes for a _second_ he wasn't officially retired, if only to lessen the immediate crash of fear that had come in then faded away.

The boots stop in front of him, but they don't move closer. They don't reach out to him. They don't talk. After a moment the boots and whoever is in them moves beside him instead of in front of him, but still far enough away that they don't touch when they sit down next to him.

"Stark? I don't know if you can hear me, but you gotta breathe." The person isn't touching him or commanding him. The voice is tight but unsure and it's the surprise of who it is that has him sucking in a breath and letting sound back in. "Your AI called for help and I was the closest. I know I might not be the best choice."

Tony takes another shaky breath and nods. Slowly and just as unsure as the breaths he's gulping into his lungs, he looks next to him at the man with one arm, hiding behind a head of hair.

"Barnes," he acknowledges through still gasping breaths.

"Do you want me to get Steve? He can bring you some water."

Tony shakes his head. He doesn't know why he does it, but anyone _but_ Rogers would be great right now. Even if it's his ex-murderer of a best friend. Even if it's the man that—

"I don't blame you," Tony says through harsh breaths. "I wish I could, but..." He shakes his head. "It wasn't your fault." He doesn't know if he's talking more to himself or the man hunched over beside him, but he means it. He means it with everything in him, because even if the silver arm is gone, it was the flesh one that had choked the life out of his mother, and he knows better than to think that's who Barnes is. Even after almost having his chest ripped out. He takes another deep breath. They've all done things they aren't proud of. He wishes he could say more but he still can't catch his breath.

Footsteps are quick and clunky as they come down the hall. The creak and stretch of wires and metal and _Rhodey_.

"C'mon, Tones," Rhodey says when he comes closer and it helps Tony breathe a little better.

"I'm fine, gum drop, promise. Got a little light headed. I'm all good now."

Rhodey narrows his eyes at him then glances over at Barnes who looks terrified and concerned somewhere underneath his permanent layer of guilt.

"Okay then, sugar pie, let's get some food in you. Chicken Parm is as close as I can get to Mama Starks home cooking, but—"

"That'd be perfect, Rhodey," Tony says pushing himself up and reaching out a hand to help Barnes up too. The other man looks down at Tony's hand beforelooking at his own. "C'mon, Jacob, Edward won't bite."

"I can make enough for everybody," Rhodey adds with a snort when Barnes looks to him for what to do. "You're free to join us if you want."

He reaches up and grabs Tony's still outstretched hand and neither of them flinch.

Pepper would call that progress, but Tony calls it Monday.

He takes another breath.


	3. [ three ]

He's not sure if it was on purpose or by pure force of will and the universe's decision to finally cop the kid a break, but Tony is almost positive that Peter has yet to meet any of the Avengers officially since they reversed everything. He doesn't want to force it on him, but it's been almost an entire week since he caught both of his boys snoozing around a Lego set and he still hasn't thought of a way to bring it up.

It doesn't take long before Harley does it for him.

"Hey, Parker," Harley starts while they're all tinkering in the lab. "You met the dorks upstairs yet?"

"Not out of the suit," Peter says with a shrug and not looking up from his project. "Not really a fan of _Captain Privileged_."

"What, his moral compass too strong even for you?"

Peter freezes but doesn't drop his screwdriver. Harley looks up at him when he doesn't answer or laugh, then looks over to where Tony is staring at the younger boy shocked. Harley looks between them, his brows laced with confusion.

"Am I missing something?"

"Not really," Tony says. He hopes that'll be the end of it. He doesn't need the bruises and ice cold flurries from the memories of Siberia clawing up his throat. He and Barnes are okay. He and Rogers are...cordial. It's _fine_.

Peter scoffs.

"He almost killed you. He left you there to—"

"Not another word, Parker," Tony says and his voice is firm even if his finger is trembling as he points it at the door. "Out of the lab."

"No, dad, I'm sorry." And now Peter's voice is trembling. "I won't say anything. I'll sit in the corner. Please I'm sorry. I can't—" he sucks in a breath. _He's being ripped apart and his healing factor can't hold him together well enough. His cells are turning to ash and no one can save him. He's alone. He's alone. He's—_ and now they're both on the verge of panicking.

"C'mon, Pete," says Harley gripping onto Peter's elbow to help ground him. "I'll go with you. You won't be alone. Promise. Pops just needs a second."

Harley wants to say he's surprised that Captain Selfish had left Tony to die in God knows where, but he's been watching Tony walk on eggshells around the man. Too traumatized to even talk to him in close range. And it all adds up.

"I didn't mean to make him do that," Peter whispers when they're upstairs and his breathing is closer to normal.

"We all have stuff," Harley says shrugging. "There's a list on the fridge. You can add your stuff too, the being alone and the loud noises and whatever... I mean, if you want."

"I should. But I just...I got so angry thinking about it and he just...he always acts like it doesn't bother him. He let's them walk all over him cause he misses his friends—"

"Is that what you think?" Tony says from the archway that leads into the kitchen. "That they're here— That I'm pushing my PTSD to the limit because I need _friends_?"

"Then why are they here? Why can't they stay somewhere else? Why do we have to wake up panicking every morning just so they can have a place to sleep?"

"Because you **_died_**!" Tony doesn't mean to yell. He hates yelling. He's known that it was a trigger for Peter since the Ferry Incident. Maybe before that. Just like being alone or being called Einstein. He lowers his voice and ignores it when it cracks. "They're here because you died and I couldn't save you. Half the fucking population got wiped off the earth and we were the ones who were supposed to keep you all safe and we _failed_. So they came here to regroup so we could come up with a plan to fix it. And now they don't have anywhere else to go."

"But that shouldn't be on you," Harley says before Peter can open his mouth. "They treat you like shit and you still build them things and let them stay here and _play nice_. They hurt you and Uncle Rhodey. You shouldn't have to do all of this for them."

"I shouldn't've brought it up," Peter whispers. He won't look Tony in the eye but his voice is no less heartbreaking. "I'm sorry."

"You're right." It's something Tony doesn't say often, but these are his kids and he thinks about watching his mom deal with Howard's shit all the time even when she didn't have to and not understanding why they had to stay. Why _she_ stayed. "Both of you. You're right."

"So why..." Harley starts before snapping his mouth shut again.

"We all know I'm not the most appreciated member on the team and a lot of that is my fault. I don't have the most respectable past. I know that. I also know that those guys aren't saints either, but I am trying to learn how to forgive them. _That's_ my decision. Them staying here _isn't,_ okay? That's not on me. It's the UN's call. They all signed the updated accords which means two years of probation in an approved facility. The only places they trust are the tower and the compound because they were made to contain the Avengers anyway."

"So why can't we just stay wherever they _aren't_?" Peter asks because it seems easy enough and he's still so full of bitterness that he's sure he'd punch Captain America before he'd even introduce himself.

"The UN doesn't trust them to be in the facilities by themselves. So..." Tony shrugs, resigned.

"So what you have to act as their official babysitter?" Harley says angry. "That's bullshit."

"We all made mistakes, kid. So we all have to answer for them."

"I still don't like it," says Peter.

"You don't have to," Tony agrees. "We just have to live with it. You guys never even have to talk to them if you don't want to."

"Uh, if you think I'm passing up the chance to watch Peter give Cap a black eye, you're going senile pretty early, old man."

The tension is broken quickly by Harley's comment like a baseball through a glass and Tony snorts out a laugh.

"Spider-kid, no fighting the Capsicle, okay?"

"No promises."

"Good enough for me."

Harley jumps over the back of the couch and Peter follows not long after, flopping onto his brother like dead weight. Tony can't help but laugh because things are still rough around the edges and he's still trying to calm the rapid beating of his heart, but they're working on it.

"I'm ordering Chinese," he says walking into the kitchen for one of the many take out menus that are stashed there. "Someone call Pep."

"Hey FRIDAY," says Peter still lying on Harley, "Call Iron Mom."

Tony is glad the boys aren't looking at him by the time Pepper answers the phone because his smile is blinding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you guys are enjoying the first few chapters so far.
> 
> as of right now they're just helping to set up the world of the fic before we get into the domestic family bits.  
> the school and jobs and avengers type stuff.
> 
> thanks for reading 
> 
> \-- luci xoxo


	4. [ four ]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **_[tw: peter has a panic attack]_ **

When Pepper walks in, she doesn't look any different. Peter, however, can hear double heartbeats whenever she's nearby and he wonders if she feels any different.

Peter thinks that maybe she hasn't quite plucked up the courage to tell Tony she's pregnant. He knows it's not because she thinks Tony will be upset about it, but she probably isn't ready to be done with work, and they all know Tony will want to be able to watch over her from home. It'd kill him to have to watch out for her over the phone or through FRIDAY while she's at some business meeting in Hong Kong.

"Uh, Pepper..." Peter says approaching her while Harley is still in the kitchen with Tony.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Before we eat— I just...well, can I ask you something?"

She narrows her eyes at him before nodding. "Within reason."

He doesn't answer right away. He isn't sure what he can say without freaking her out or prying into her personal business. She smiles lovingly at him before reaching a hand out, massaging a thumb across his forehead where his eyebrows have started to furrow in concentration. 

"You and Tony have the same thinking face," she teases softly, as her thumb still rubs at his forehead, forcing him to relax. "What's wrong?"

"There've been...I mean—" He shakes his head and clears his throat, hoping to not catch his dad's attention. "You're er...pregnant. Aren't you?" His voice is a whisper and for a second he doesn't think she's heard him, because she doesn't freeze long enough for him to notice.

"How did you know?"

"You uh— you have 2 heartbeats."

She smiles at him then leans in close to kiss his forehead. When she pulls away she's looking him in his eyes again.

"I haven't told Tony yet, so let's try to keep this between us. Okay, sweetheart?"

"Yeah, okay," Peter agrees then breaks out into a grin pulling her into the kitchen with as much of his old excitement as he can muster. It's been harder since he's been back, but he's trying. "Dad ordered Chinese. He got like everything on the menu."

"Because little spider-babies with enhanced metabolisms need to eat more," Tony says jokingly as he and Harley set the table before he comes closer to kiss Pepper on the cheek. "Hey, Pep. How was work?"

"You'd know if you would have come to the meeting this morning." She's only teasing and they all know it, but Tony spits out an excuse anyway.

"I was babysitting the little ones, Pep. You know they can't be left alone. DUM-E was in charge but they bribed him with oiled coffee."

Pepper laughs, but her smile is much fonder than usual and Peter didn't even think that was possible. He sits next to her to avoid staring which means he directly across from Harley who has taken up residence next to Tony only so he can pluck the onions out of his fried rice and into their dad's plate.

It's all peaceful and domestic, but the moment is lost on Peter almost as soon as he saw the look on Pepper's face.

He's been one accident away from being a complete orphan almost as long as he can remember. Of course he had Ben and May, but they weren't his parents. They'd taken care of him, but they'd always been his uncle and his aunt. He remembers Tony mentioning adoption and stops eating to stare at his plate.

If Pepper is pregnant, then where do he and Harley fit? He tries to pick up his fork again and takes a bite of food to clear his head, but it doesn't work. There is no _if_. Pepper **_is_** pregnant.

Harley had a mom and a sister so he'd probably just go back with them. And Peter...well, Peter would go back to May and she'd work her hellish shifts to keep a roof over his head and food on the table but he'd be _alone_.

He sucks in a harsh breath and the panic is palpable.

_I don't wanna go. I don't wanna go. Mr. Stark, please. I don't wanna go. I don't wanna go_.

 _His atoms are tearing away from each other. His cells are dusting. He's **dying**_.

"Pete?" says a voice. "Peter? C'mon, bambino. I need you to come back. You gotta breathe for me."

_I don't wanna go. I don't wanna go_.

"Peter!"

Strong arms wrap around him and theres a familiar heartbeat thrumming in his ears. It's not his or May's but he knows it just as well. It's not Ben's because Ben's heart stopped and Peter heard it when it finally pumped itself into silence. It'd been his fault and then he had been _alone_. Had had to tell May what happened _alone_. Who's going to tell her this? That Peter's dying? That _she's_ going to be alone?

_I don't wanna go— please..._

"Pete, c'mon, kid. Come back to me."

There's another voice but it's not as familiar as the one holding him and he can't make out what they're saying, because he's pathetic and alone and _dying_.

"Is that it? Are you lost in there, kiddo? Need me to talk you out?" Peter doesn't respond but the voice starts up again anyway and he feels it rumble around him. "Peter? It's me, Tony. We're in the penthouse. It's 4:17 pm. You're sitting in the dinning room. Can you come back, kiddo?"

"Mr. Stark?" Peter says and his voice cracks. How had he not noticed he was crying before now. He sniffles but doesn't move to wipe his eyes.

"Hey, Pete," Tony says relaxing and pulling Peter into a tight hug instead of just holding him. "Gonna do 3-2-1, okay?"

Peter nods into Tony's chest. He doesn't want to open his eyes just yet.

"3 things you can hear."

"Your heartbeat. Cars.” He bites his tongue. “Harley's heartbeat."

"2 things you can smell."

"Chinese food. Your cologne."

"1 thing you can taste."

"Uh...pork fried rice."

Tony snorts out a laugh and rubs a hand up and down Peter's back.

"Sorry," Peter says. He feel like he has to say it, because no matter what he's trying to do, he keeps ruining everything.

"You don't have anything to apologize for, kiddo. Can you tell me what set you off? Did someone say something—"

Peter's eyes snap open and he immediately makes eye contact with Pepper before slamming them shut again and guiltily shaking his head frantically against Tony's chest.

"No. I'm fine, Mr. St— Dad. I'm fine. Promise." The Dad he forces out sounds strained even to his own ears, but Tony doesn't say anything about it. He wonders if Tony accepts his lies to be kind, or if it's a lesson he's learned from his father that he never quite stopped using in tough situations. He knows it'll be rude to ask, but he can barely think now that his senses are coming back and everything is so loud.

Tony helps him stand up then leads him to his room and asks FRIDAY to turn down the lights and sound proof the room.

"If you need to talk or you want to try eating again...anything, just tell FRI and she'll let me know, okay?" Tony leans forward and kisses the top of Peter's curly head. "I know today's been a lot. I'm sorry about sending you out of the lab and for whatever I did at dinner. You aren't alone, Pete."

"Yeah, I know."

"I can send Harley in when he's done if you want..."

"No. I'm fine," Peter says and his voice is flat. He needs to get used to being alone again. He doesn't say anything else, but Tony accepts the lie.

"If you say so." He ruffles Peter's hair before standing and walking back towards the door. "Get some rest, kiddo. Love you."

"Love you too, Dad," Peter says and this time it feels genuine.


	5. [ five ]

Tony's chest aches. He doesn't want to be like Howard. He wants to be there for his kids. He wants them to be able to come to him if they have issues or if he's done something, but he had the chance to listen to Peter earlier about the rest of the Avengers team and he blew it. Even if he couldn't change the situation, he could have heard Peter out. He could have handled it better. It's no wonder the kid is all clammed up now.

He tries to think about what set his kid off. Had Peter wanted to sit with him instead of with Pepper? No, Peter loves Pep. Was it Harley? No, they seemed to be getting along pretty well too. Maybe Peter was allergic to something in his food? But that wouldn't have sent him into a mental panic and force him to dissociate.

Tony rubs a rough hand down his face. This is getting him nowhere.

"Is Pete okay?" Harley asks when he gets back into the dinning room. Nobody is particularly hungry anymore, but the food is still spread all over the table.

"I don't know. He's taken a sensory break right now, but you should go check on him later." He runs a hand through his hair. "I don't even know what set him off. Did I say something? Is he still upset about earlier? Did-"

"Tony you didn't do anything," Pepper says softly. She looks back towards Peter's door sadly. "I think it's my fault this time. I'll go talk to him." She slides her chair back before standing.

Peter is leaving his room before she can even get close. He's wearing one of Tony's old MIT hoodies and he has a book bag thrown over his shoulder. He doesn't even look at them when he speaks.

"I'm gonna go to May's for a few days," he says quietly. "She's off this week."

"Is that what you want?" asks Tony, but his fingers twitch to pull his son into a hug. _You've been gone for months. You died. Don't go._ Peter nods. "Do you need a ride? I can call Happy to come and-"

"I'm just going to walk."

"Oh. Yeah, o-okay. Do you have your soundproof headphones or do you want me to-"

" _I'm fine,_ " Peter says through gritted teeth and Tony wishes he could find it in himself to hold it together.

"No you're not! None of us are fine. That doesn't mean you pull away whenever you get upset. I'm trying to help, Pete. I can't do that if you won't let me."

"I don't need any help."

"We all need help, kiddo. And that's okay. We're family, we can help each other."

"I don't need _your_ help. You're not my dad. And Pepper's not my mom. And Harley and Nebula and- and whoever else, we're not _siblings_. You're not my family! None of you are. May's my family. May's _always_ been my family. She's all I've got." Peter doesn't let anyone respond before he's in the elevator and being taken to the ground floor.

"Hey, old man?" says Harley, but his voice sounds panicked and muffled. "Dad?"

"Tony, look at me," Pepper says. She's closer than Harley, but she still sounds like she's miles away.

Tony wonders why he feels like he's drowning again. He makes to scratch at his chest, to push down, to add pressure, to do _anything_ , but he can't feel his arm either. He can't breathe.

His body thuds to the ground.

Maybe he is just like Howard. But then again, maybe Peter's right, he'd have to have kids for that.

\--:--

It's dark when Tony wakes up. He's lying on a bed and not wherever he had happened to land on the shiny hardwood of the penthouse floor before.

Pepper is holding his hand as tightly as she can in her sleep, nails digging into his skin. Her makeup is ruined when he reaches over and brushes her strawberry blonde hair away from her face with his other hand. The tracks of tears leave splotches of red in their wake. He wishes an apology could fix all of this. It won't. He rubs a thumb across her knuckles gently.

"Didn't mean to scare you like that, Pep."

Rhodey walks in as he lays there staring at the woman he loves.

"Never thought you'd go and have a stroke, Tones."

"See, that's interesting, 'cause I thought I'd have one sooner."

"This isn't funny."

"I'm not laughing."

"We make sure you eat and I know you exercise. So what happened? Stress? Don't tell me you're drinking again."

"No, nothing like that. And there's always gonna be stress, Platypus. Got into an argument with Pete, is all."

"Sure, but you have a weak heart. I mean, with your prior trauma, panic attacks, Avengers business, and helping to bring back half the population, your body needs rest, Tony. Your heart especially."

"Anything you say, Doc."

"Don't do that. I'm not trying to nag you, man, but this is serious. You can't just—"

Harley bursts into the room a still panicked look on his face, but he's trying not to be too loud, though it's clear he wants to cry and hug Tony all at once. Pepper wakes up from the thump of the door and moves back just enough for Harley to launch himself into Tony's outstretched arms.

Tony squeezes him.

Rhodey is smiling at him and shaking his head, but he can see where his best friend was moments from crying. He kisses the top of Harley's head and when he looks up again from the messy dirty blonde hair, he sees Peter standing at the door with May behind him, an angry look on her face as she nudges the teen forward.

Peter stumbles before slowly walking to the foot of the bed and dropping his head down.

"I'm sorry," he says quietly.

"Nothing to apologize for, Pete," Tony says weakly. Pepper, Rhodey, and Harley all look at him prepared to argue, but Peter is the one that speaks up first.

"Yes, there is! I've been pushing you and pushing you because I feel so...so _fucked up_ and alone and I don't know what to do about it. It's the same thing I did with Ben and now—" Peter breaks into tears. "I shouldn't have taken it out on you. _I'm sorry_."

"Ben's death isn't your fault, kid. And neither is this," Tony says. "I've just been under a lot of stress recently with everyone coming back and trying to keep the team under control. This was bound to happen."

"But I shouldn't have yelled or...or said you aren't my dad."

"Pete—"

"No. I shouldn't have said _any_ of that about you or Pepper or Harley or Nebula. You guys are my family. Just like May is." He looks up and lets his eyes roam over to Pepper. "I just— what's going to happen when you don't need us anymore?"

Pepper is up in a second, wrapping her arms around Peter and pulling him into a hug.

"We'll always need you, Peter. Nothing is going to change that." She kisses his cheek as she pulls away. "You and Harley and Nebula and Vision too, you're all our kids for as long as you'll have us."

"But what about..." he starts quietly then looks away again, tears still marring his cheeks, and she pulls him in for another hug.

Tony doesn't hear what she whispers into the kids ear but it makes him grip onto her tighter and cry harder into her shirt.

"How are you?" May asks next to him now, placing a hand on his forehead. "A stroke is serious business, Stark. We have boys to look out for; you need to take care of yourself."

"Yes, ma'am," he agrees."I'm taking time off from babysitting the Avengers as soon as I'm released."

She gives him a look and holds out a hand. "Phone."

"Pep's already called me off work, I'm sure."

"It's the first thing I did once they were able to get you stable," she said turning to face them, a hand still in Peter's curls. Tony smiles.

"But thank you, Mrs. Parker. I appreciate the thought."

"You're family, Stark." She runs a hand through his hair before kissing his forehead and kissing Harley's forehead next to him where the teen had fallen asleep, as close to his dad as he could get. She stands up straighter, walking over to give Pepper a hug once she releases Peter then drags the boy closer to her, grabbing his chin to make him look at her. "Behave."

"Yes, ma'am," Peter says apologetic and guilty.

"Stark, make sure he eats and takes his medicine, I'm pretty sure he's been skipping doses."

"Mrs. Parker, why don't you stay for a bit," Rhodey says. Tony can't recall a time they've talked much but he likes to see that Rhodey is trying.

"Sad to say, I have to get to work."

"I promise you'll still make it in time."

"Maybe next time, Colonel."

"Please, call me Rhodey."

"Call me May."

"Well, May, what if you just stuck around to make sure the kid eats. Stays present. He's been floaty a lot. I'm sure he misses you."

May looks over at a blushing Peter but he won't make eye contact with her. She nods firmly, wrapping and arm around his shoulders and placing a kiss on his cheek.

"I guess one meal wouldn't hurt."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chappie will be soft and happy, but it's been a rough start i know.  
> thanks for reading anyway. love yall
> 
> \-- luci xoxo


	6. [ six ]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for not posting, this month has been fucking ridiculous. not at all the way i thought it would go, but what can ya do. i hope yall like this chappie a lil bit. next one should be better

_"You'll make a great big brother."_

Does Pepper really think he has what it takes...? Peter looks down at his hands while May sits next to him and talks to Pepper and Tony and Harley around the MedBay. They're all eating leftover Chinese food, but he's still barely touched his plate. If anyone notices, they try not to push him, and he's grateful for that, but he's also upset that they even have to work so hard for him. Harley isn't this hormonal. Isn't this angry. Peter doesn't remember why _he's_ this angry. He thinks it's maybe the spider bite because he doesn't remember being this angry before either.

_—ete? Peter?_

"Hey, Underoos?"

"Huh?" Peter snaps his eyes up to see that everyone is watching him. When had that happened?

"Harley wants to know if you were fine with him coming with us to go back to school shopping," May says softly at his side. When he looks over at her, he can see the pain in her eyes and he makes the decision to be more present. He hates that look. It's the same look she had when he told her Ben had died and she realized she would have to do everything alone. That she would be alone. That they were both—

"Come back, bambino."

Peter lets out a harsh breath he hadn't even realized he was holding. Then blinks rapidly before finally scooping a forkful of food into his mouth to give himself a second to think and his hands something to do.

"That...yeah, that'd be cool, Harley."

"Awesome," Harley says, but he doesn't sound like it's awesome. He sounds like he wants to say more or do more, but he can't. Peter watches him clench his fist before sucking in a breath and releasing it and the tension in his hand. Peter could understand that at least: the need to punch all his problems away.

"Dad usually orders my book bags in bulk online, but May is really good at helping me pick out nerdy tees."

"So you admit they're nerdy?"

"You caught me," Peter says shrugging, but it feels nice to talk again. To feel somewhat normal again. "But they're good tees!"

"I think I'll be fine with a few plain colors and a couple of jackets."

"Save money on jackets, just steal Dad's."

"I love being stolen from," Tony says in a mockery of being put out, but the soft smile shows how much he really does like seeing his kids comfortable enough around him to wear his clothes. Peter is still wearing his old MIT sweatshirt with the hole in the wrist and he catches Tony smiling softly at it, at _him_ , throughout the meal.

The conversation flows a little easier after that and before May leaves for work, he and Harley manage to make Tony laugh so hard that lemonade comes out his nose. He sets it as his Dad's new contact photo and the pressure on his chest doesn't feel as tight.

Later when Pepper and Rhodey have both gone off to do adult work things that Peter could hardly imagine if he tried, there's a knock on the MedBay door. Harley and Peter are quiet on the floor playing Uno, because Tony is asleep and he needs the rest. The two teens make eye contact before nodding at each other. They look back at the door when the person knocks again.

Peter stands up to answer it, Harley right beside him. He doesn't think he'll need the back-up but it's good to know he has it nonetheless. He pulls the door open and his hand twitches with the need to slam it shut again.

"You must be Peter," says Captain America. "Good to see you again, Harley."

Peter is frozen so his brother speaks.

"Did you need something?"

"We heard Tony was in MedBay. Everyone wants to know if he's okay, but we didn't want to overwhelm him."

"So why'd they send you?" Peter asks at the same time Harley says "He's fine; he's sleeping."

Steve Rogers wasn't an idiot. Peter knew as much. He had been a bit of a Captain America fanboy back before Iron Man existed. Before he'd fought him in Germany. Before he'd almost killed his dad. So he isn't sure if it's his tone or the hostile feeling in the air or the hand-shaped dent he is putting into the door jamb, but Cap backs off.

"Glad to hear that." He nods at both of them. "Sorry to bother you."

Peter wants to scream after him and ask if he really is or if he's just being polite, but Harley squeezes his shoulder.

"C'mon, Pete. He's gone. Deep breaths. Dad's fine, remember?"

"Dad's fine," Peter repeats through harsh breaths. It's not so much panic as it is an immediate and immature need to attack and force the man to apologize to his dad properly then stay as far away from him as possible. He drops his hand from the doorway, finally taking notice of the dent he'd put there. Each finger is imprinted deep enough to where it couldn't be anything but a hand. _His_ hand.

"Besides, he won't do anything if we're here, right."

Peter nods in agreement. He tries to do the math in his head to figure out how long he has to stay to be sure that Captain Rogers never gets near Tony. He decides that whatever the outcome, standing vigil is the best course of action.

When Tony wakes up, neither he or Harley tell him that Captain Rogers stopped by, but then Tony gets released from MedBay on Friday and the Avengers (or what had been the Avengers at one point) are standing in the waiting area and blocking the elevator. Peter's immediate reaction is to tense up.

"Hey, hey, hey, Spider-baby. Lil gentler on the grip," Tony says when Peter's hand tightens around his own. "We're fine. I told you."

"Right, sorry," says Peter loosening his grip. Tony removes his hand altogether and places it in Peter's curly brown locks.

"And what else did I tell you?"

"Don't punch Cap."

"You are absolutely no fun," Harley says, but they're close enough to the elevator now that there is no way the Exvengers didn't hear Tony talking Peter down from breaking Cap's nose, but they don't move. If anything they seem to be more resolute to stand in the way. Even Harley rolls his eyes before he decides enough is enough. "Listen, Capsicle—"

"Guys. Nat," says Tony, cutting Harley off but not looking at any of them. Peter can tell his dad's smile is fake and it makes him want to scream. "Did you need something?"

"Heard you were getting out today," says Hawkeye. "We all decided to come say hi."

"Hi," Tony says. "And bye."

Peter is holding onto him on one side and Harley is close enough where he might as well be on the other, and they both try to help edge him around the group and into the elevator. The doors have finally opened when what Aunt May likes to jokingly call Peter's _tingle_ shoots off down his back and sends his hand out to catch the wrist before the attached hand can grab his dad's shoulder. He turns, following the arm up to Captain Rogers' face and narrows his eyes at him.

"Don't touch him."

"I just wanted to ask him if he was okay," Rogers says taking a step back, his wrist still in Peter's tight grip.

"He's _fine._ "

"Pete," says Tony from behind him.

"I didn't punch him," Peter says as he drops the hand and moves into the elevator where Tony and Harley are already standing, waiting for him.

"And I'm proud of you, kid," Tony agrees and Peter knows without a doubt that it's placating, but it's enough to have him resting his head onto his dad's shoulder, Tony's hand running through his hair.


	7. [ seven ]

The crash wakes Tony up.

He thinks it's a part of his nightmare but when he sits up panting and sweating, Pepper is just as alert as he is. He checks his phone but he doesn't find anything and Thor usually calls before destroying his living room.

Harley and Peter are at their bedroom door looking both shocked and confused, though Peter is more excited than Tony's seen him in weeks. At Peter's face, Pepper rolls back over to go back to sleep. She's been a lot more tired lately. He wonders if she's sick.

"Do I even want to know what's going on in there?"

"Mr. Dr. Bruce Banner is back!" Peter says excitedly. "I know he was here before uh...the space stuff, but I never got a chance to talk to him. Now he's _back_. The Hulk Buster ran out of juice and he kind of fell in through a window."

"How do you kind of fall through a window, Pete?" Tony says getting up and slipping his feet into a pair of Iron Man bedroom shoes Harley had smacked him with one morning.

"He also fell through part of the roof," Harley explains.

"Of course he did," says Tony tiredly as he makes his way through the living room with his boys, assessing the damage before walking straight to the coffee maker. "Hi, Brucie-Pie," he calls from the kitchen island a few feet away from the couch where his friend is sitting, looking drained. "Coffee?"

"Yes, please," groans the other man before flopping his head back onto the couch. He screeches when he opens his eyes to find Peter standing there with a huge yet shy smile on his face.

"Pete, give'em space," Tony says once he sees what happened.

"Sorry." And he does look at least partially apologetic.

"Bruce, this is my kid, Peter. He helped with all the stuff before—"

"He's Spiderman," Harley interjects to save time.

"And that's my other kid, Harley."

Harley waves from where he has flopped himself onto one of the armchairs not covered in glass shards.

"Nice to meet you both," Bruce says then he blinks. "I didn't know you had kids, Tony."

"Well I do."

"Mr. Dr. Banner, sir, I've read like all of your research. One of your papers helped me come up with my web fluid. Mr. Stark is helping me create different variations of it for different tasks."

"Web fluid?" Bruce asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Mr. Stark?" asks Tony sounding offended as he walks over with mugs of coffee, handing one to Bruce.

Peter lights up at the prospect of explaining his compound to a new party and he looks over to Tony for reassurance that it's fine to tell. Tony chuckles but nods.

"Yeah, go for it, Pete."

"Thanks, Dad."

"C'mon, Harls, they're going to start talking chemistry."

"Oh, yeah. That's a hard no," Harley says standing up following Tony as he heads to the elevator.

"We'll be in the lab once you catch your breath. Pete bring Veronica."

"Veronica?"

"The suit," Bruce supplies. "And we'll be right there." He turns back to Peter. "So you were going to tell me about the web flu—"

The door closes on the elevator and Tony lets out a breath, but he's smiling.

"You're glad everyone's back together aren't you?" asks Harley in a small voice. "Even after everything they did to you before?"

_They're family_ , Tony almost says as an explanation, but he can't figure out a way to make it feel right. He hadn't ever felt that way about Howard. He still doesn't, just thinking back on his childhood. He looks at his feet. "I don't know why, but yeah. I wish I could say it was because they're like family to me but I practically prayed for the days I didn't have to spend with my dad. I know being family doesn't excuse the things they've done just like it doesn't excuse the things he did, but they weren't the only ones wrong this time."

"They were the only ones aiming to kill."

"It wasn't like that."

"Yes it was. Uncle Rhodey is paralyzed. Cap tried to _kill_ you."

"Don't you think I know that!? We all did things we regret. Said things we shouldn't have."

"But you never tried to kill them."

"You and Pete...you guys think I'm some kind of saint. I'm _not_."

The door slides open and they walk the short distance to the lab. Tony immediately grabs a screwdriver and starts picking at a piece of whatever is on his desk. The kid isn't trying to pick at his wounds. He's angry and trying to understand and Tony _knows_ that, but it doesn't make his chest hurt any less.

"We don't think you're a saint. We both know you better than that. When I first met you, you were a raggedy ass man with a busted suit and nowhere to go. I just don't think you give yourself the credit you deserve. You're not perfect, but you're a great person. A great dad. You made mistakes and you learned from them and you act like none of that matters!"

Tony thinks back to when Harley was an 8 year old kid taking care of his little sister because his mom worked and his dad ran off but he still looked up to Tony because he _talked_ to him and made him feel important. He saved him. He remembers Peter after the Ferry Incident and his quiet pleading voice saying he just wanted to be like Tony and he breaks into tears.

"I- I want to give you guys your best chance, b-but then I think about how much I've fucked up. All the things I've done...the lives I've taken. And then there's a part of me that thinks maybe—"

"Don't say you deserve it," Harley says, but he isn't looking at Tony when he says it. He's staring at the ground, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. His voice sounds shaky and there are tears on his face but he is still talking. "You don't _deserve_ to be treated like nothing more than a babysitter for the Avengers. You don't _deserve_ to be a punching bag to them. You don't _deserve_ to be murdered by someone you thought of as your friend because you were hurting!" Harley snaps his mouth shut, but he's still trembling.

"Listen—"

"No, Dad, I get it. I want you to have friends and be able to be happy that they're home again, but I don't want you to have to keep everything to yourself or feel like you deserve to be treated like garbage because that's how they act."

Tony stands up, steps closer to Harley, though the boy still refuses to look at him, and pulls him into a hug.

"I hear you loud and clear, kid."


	8. [ eight ]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i promised a double update so _boop_ here it be

Peter still can't believe he's sitting across from _**the**_ Bruce Banner. That he gets to talk to him about himself and his web fluid formula. Sure, Tony is his hero and his father figure, which is a lot in a good way, but Peter's always been more into Biology and Chemistry and he's pretty sure that those are at least 2 of Dr. Banner's many PhD's.

If Peter were younger and hadn't just died a few months ago, he thinks he would feel a lot more embarrassed to be bouncing on his side of the couch like an excited puppy, but he did so he isn't and it's _fine_.

"—and your report on the effects of radiation on a person's base biology was kind of revolutionary for me."

"Do you mind if I ask about that?" Dr. Banner pauses almost shocked at himself. "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to. We don't have to talk about it at all," he says backtracking. Peter laughs as he rubs at the back of his neck.

"Theres really not much to tell, you know? When I was like 14, my class had a field trip to Oscorp. I _may_ have gotten lost on my to the bathroom and a spider bit me on my way back. The next day I woke up with this like crazy high fever." Peter doesn't really remember much from being sick but being hot and feeling like he was dying all the time and everything being so _loud_. "I was sick for like a week and a half! My aunt says I was a mess, but I don't really remember much of it. I just know that when I woke up I didn't need my glasses anymore, I was like 10 times stronger, and I was sticking to like everything. Oh and I was hungry _all the time_. I'm still kind of hungry all the time. Dad thinks my metabolism is probably as fast as Captain Rogers."

"And what do you think?"

"I don't really know Captain Rogers all that well." He doesn't add how he doesn't want to either.

"He would be a good sparring partner to start with for us to get a gauge on your strength."

"Yeah, Dad was going to ask you to help run a few tests to help figure all that kind of stuff out, whenever you got back. He says you were here before everyone came back, but then you were gone. He missed you."

"He missed you too."

"I know, everyone keeps telling me that."

"And what, you don't believe it?"

"It's kind of hard to tell when I have to see him deal with everyone else being back too." Peter doesn't want Dr. Banner to ask him about why he sounds so upset, so he turns the issue around as best he can. Tries to get them back on the topic of science. "I uh...I have a few of my prototypes for new webs in Dad's lab if you wanted to take a look at the formula."

Dr. Banner is looking at him like he knows something is up and is trying to decide whether or not to say something. It's the look May gets just before she calls him out on his bullshit. It's the look Tony gets when he's had a particularly rough night as Spider-Man and doesn't want May to know. He waits for Dr. Banner to say something, anything, but ultimately the man stands and smiles softly down at him.

"Yeah, let's go join them in the lab. Not sure how much help I'll be with the upgraded fluid when I haven't even seen the originals, but—"

"It's fine! I'm sure I have some of the usual formula at my workstation too. And anything you have to add or you think would work is...well it'd be awesome!" Peter hops up and races towards the elevator to press the button before running back to lift Veronica onto his shoulders. "Forgot Dad said bring the suit."

The ride to the lab is had, thankfully, in comfortable silence and he barely notices the weight of the giant Hulk-Buster armor that he has hefted up.

When they enter, Tony and Harley are both tinkering with things at their own workstations music playing just loud enough to mask the silence as something normal, though it still makes Peter narrow his eyes as he looks between them.

His dad's head snaps up when the door opens and that's how he knows something is up for sure. Then he sees the red eyes, puffy from crying, and he knows they aren't angry at each other, they just both needed a little space. Peter tries to smile even though he knows that his dad can read his face just as well.

"Mr. Dr. Banner says he can help with the web fluid upgrades," he says dragging the huge suit forward. "So where can I drop this lovely lady off?"

"The couch?" Tony says though it sounds more like a question with the way his brows are furrowed as he surveys the room for somewhere to keep her on a more permanent basis. "Yeah, I'll have to designate a room to keep all my extra suits, but the couch is fine for now, Underoos."

"Awesome! Hey, FRIDAY can you pull up my original web fluid formula at my station for Mr. Dr. Banner to look over?"

" **Of course, Mini Boss**."

"And just Bruce is fine," Dr. Banner clarifies.

"Yes sir, Dr. Bruce, sir."

Peter doesn't see Dr. Banner facepalm, but he hears it as well as his dad's answering chuckle.

"It just means he respects you, Brucey. Don't worry about it. He still calls me Mr. Stark when he gets stressed out."

"I'm working on it! And I mean, I've been doing better!" Peter argues as he comes back over to the group.

"He's working on it, he says," Tony teases, some of his earlier worry and weariness slowly sinking away in the face of teasing family and friendship.

Harley still isn't paying them any attention and Peter wants to ask him what's wrong, but he wonders if maybe this isn't something his brother would want to talk about in front of someone they'd essentially just met. Especially after whatever he and Tony had been dealing with before they'd joined them. He wonders if Harley would even tell him considering how distant he's been acting ever since Tony's stroke and Peter knows that it's mostly his fault. He'd said some things he shouldn't have and he knew that Harley was a little sensitive about the whole family thing...

He walks over to where Harley is working with earbuds in while Dr. Bruce and his Dad parse through the web formulas. Peter taps his shoulder and feels a little bad at the way his brother jumps at the interruption.

Harley looks up in quick surprise before schooling his features and letting out a breath. He takes a moment to look around and reorient himself before looking back at Peter, all while not making eye contact, but popping out one of his earbuds anyway.

"Hey, Pete. What's up?" Harley's smile is fake and Peter knows that it's his fault but that doesn't stop it from hurting. He wonders how long he's been putting his feelings before others and thinks maybe dying and coming back had just brought back all the worst parts, but he drags up the corners of his mouth anyway even if it looks absolutely contrite.

"I— uh...Could we play video games or Legos or something later and talk?"On the edge of his focus he can hear the adults bantering over science and things he hadn't been around for. But he wants Harley to know that he's sorry so his brother has his full attention.

"Whatever," Harley says shrugging, but Peter knows it's as close to a yes as he's going to get and he'll take it. 


	9. [ nine ]

He's sitting down with a suit on call when the Ex-Vengers corner him again. Tony is grateful for the little things. He's in the common room instead of his personal quarters because the team is _trying_ to work together againand he can deal with Clint and Natasha and even Barnes on his own. But when they're together he's more on edge. Especially now without Nat or Barnes anywhere to be found.

"Tony—"

"Is there a reason you guys always come in a group?" he asks cutting over Steve. His voice is sharp but reasonable. His eyes flit over Steve and Sam and Wanda and Clint though he looks just as wary as Tony now that he knows this wasn't a welcomed visit, before looking back down at what he was working on.

"Would you rather we didn't?"

"I would rather you," he says point at Steve, but not looking up from the holograms he has around him on the couch, "not come at all."

"I thought we'd all been getting better with talking things through," Sam cuts in. Tony barely knows the guy. He knows he used to be a therapist or something; he knows that he paralyzed Rhodey; and he knows he got dusted with the other half of the population. He doesn't know why he's talking.

"I'm assuming that's what they told you, cause I don't remember you being here, Sidekick."

"And why do you think that is?" Sam asks sarcastically and Tony shrugs.

"Heard Bermuda is great this time of year."

"Is that supposed to be a joke?"

"Am I laughing?" He finally turns his head to look at them. He doesn't want to minimize their suffering but he can't do this... He wasn't _prepared_ to do this right now

"People died. I died. Half the fucking population died! You don't get to be an ass and make light of this!"

"Sam, stop," Clint says grabbing his arm.

"No. Why does he get to hide out up here like a king and look down on the rest of us like—"

"Get out." Tony doesn't realize it's his own voice until it comes out louder this time and he can feel the strain. In seconds there's an Iron Man gauntlet forming around his arm and pointing at them. "Get OUT!"

"Dad! Are you okay?" Peter calls running from the elevator into the common room. "I heard you yelling and—" Once he notices who's there, he's scarily fast as he climbs, flips, and contorts himself across the ceiling to stand defensively in front of Tony.

"Pete, it's fine," says Tony trying to calm him down, but his chest feels tight with the need to grab Peter and run as far as possible from the people who hurt everything they touch.

"No it's not."

"Bambino, it's fine. Look." Tony forces himself to lower his own hand, the Bleeding Edge 3.0 gauntlet sliding back into a watch.

"They were going to hurt you again," Peter says and he's resolute.

"No, Pete. We're fine, I panicked."

"But you don't feel safe."

"I'm not going to feel safe all the time, s'not in the job description."

"You should feel safe in your home and- and- and you don't." The kid is trembling but his eyes aren't leaving the Rogues. Every move has his eyes following.

"Kid." _No response._ "Peter." _Nothing_. "Pete, look at me." Tony places a hand softly on Peter's shoulder and the kid's head snaps over to him, eyes wide and terrified but protective. "Pete, I'm fine."

"And anyway," says Harley from where he's leaning against a wall, angrily aiming an old Iron Man arm turned blaster gun at Sam, "I'm pretty sure he asked you fucktards to leave."

Tony doesn't know if he's doing it to protect him or Peter who is clearly in the middle of an episode, but he's grateful for the warning all the same.

"Harley," he starts but the kid isn't having it.

"I told you I was going to give them a chance, but they keep fucking up! I'm tired of everyone just walking all over you!"

"It was just a disagreement. No one did anything. I'm fine." Tony is trying his damndest not to laugh and cry and be proud all at once, and it's a hard battle won. "We're connected, remember, you'd know if something was up."

"They didn't do anything?" Harley asks firmly to be sure, because that's the part that matters to him and Tony knows it.

"No."

"Okay." He uncocks the blaster and props it against his shoulder. Tony knows that this is Harley trying to trust him after years of not being able to trust anyone but himself really.

Peter is still tense beside him but he's getting his breathing back under control and he's glad the kid is learning to notice and redirect his attacks.

"Just say what you came here to say, Rogers," Tony says defeated. He isn't looking at Sam, and Clint looks just as annoyed as Harley if that's even possible, but Tony wonders if it's because he had thought the same way about him before.

"Bruce said he has a way to contact Thor no matter where he is in the Universe. So I was thinking maybe we could all get together for dinner and drinks one night. Get to know each other again."

"Do you really think that's a good idea?" Tony's first instinct has always been to say yes. Being alone for so long has a way of making you think that any offer friendship or attention will be your last, but he's an adult now. He's learned better.

"I speak for myself when I say that I know I have a lot to apologize for, but ignoring the issues instead of sitting down and discussing them will only lead to more miscommunication and suffering."

Harley rolls his eyes as he mumbles a put out, "What, he read that in a fortune cookie or something?"

"I'm bringing Laura and the kids, if you're up for it," Clint says. It's his agreement but clarification that makes Tony think twice. Knowing that this is ultimately his choice. Knowing that at the end of the day, no one is going to force him to join, but they want him to.

They've all made mistakes and they all have things to make up for, but now he can see that they're really trying.

"That uh...that sounds nice. I'll tell Pep and Rhodey to clear their schedules."

Tony can feel Peter's shoulders loosen up a little bit and he can breathe a little easier as each situation slowly begins to diffuse itself. He's about to ask if he feels okay or if he needs anything, but the kid looks over and makes eye contact with Harley, meaning that even non-verbal the kid isn't given up his defensive stance.

"Oh yeah, do us a favor, Cap. Next time you want to ask our dad a question, don't bring an entourage. To _some people_ it could look like a group of hostile supes cornering a retired civilian and that wouldn't look good on your monthly probation reports, now would it?"

"Are you threatening us?" Steve asks honestly.

"Not at all," says Harley smiling but even that sounds like a threat. "I'm thanking you. Now get out."

He doesn't have to say anything else to clear the room, though Clint looks clearly impressed as he leaves and Tony doesn't blame him. Tony sucks a breath in through his teeth. Harley drops his weapon as soon as they're gone to check that he and Peter are okay as he helps them get their breathing back under control.

Tony really is proud.


	10. [ ten ]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :: mentions of antidepressants ::

Before Peter and Harley even realize it, the summer has come and gone. Not that they had much of one to begin with. Peter was dead and Harley had been working to help their dad through trauma and panic attacks and trying to bring back half the population. It'd been a lot. But now that the idea of classes are looming closer than ever, Peter tenses at the thought of being at school again. They'd been on a trip to MoMA when the aliens attacked. When Thanos had shown up. When Peter had _died_. He wonders how many of his classmates hadn't made it before realizing he really doesn't want to know.

When he starts poking at his breakfast, Tony decides to step in.

"Don't want eggs today, Pete?"

"Uh, yeah. Not really hungry." His stomach growls in disagreement and Tony raises an eyebrow at him.

"Real convincing, Pinocchio," Harley chimes in from across the table and Pepper sends him a look that has him shutting his mouth but laughing nonetheless.

"What's going on, bud?" Tony says trying not to push him farther than he's willing to go. They've been on eggshells with each other no matter how hard they've tried not to be.

"Nothing..."

"C'mon, Pete, don't shut me out. Don't go getting into your head. Talk to me, kid." Tony sounds concerned but tentative. It has Peter's mouth twitching upwards into an almost smile before the thoughts are back and Peter has to fight them off again.

"I'm fine," he forces out. He doesn't expect for it to sound as rude as it does, but it has Tony shutting his mouth for a second too long.

"Fine," he repeats unconvinced. He looks down at Peter's barely eaten plate. "Can't take your medicine on an empty stomach, kid, fine or not. That'll just make it worse."

"Maybe I don't want to take it."

"Well that's too bad, it's non-negotiable."

"But—"

"But nothing. We both need to, but you've been skipping doses. You can't do that, Pete. You have to take your antidepressants." The word sounds harsh on his dad's lips.

Peter knows it's true, hates that it is. He wants to skip another one just because Tony even tried to press harder than usual, because he doesn't want to think about it. He had problems before, but nothing like this. He didn't need to be _fucking medicated_ before all this. He slams his fist on the table so hard he dents the surface and snaps his fork in half.

"I hate this!" He feels angry and different and and and... "I HATE THIS!" he yells louder, tears streaming down his face. He's wrapped in his dad's arms before he can even question it.

"I know, bud. The first few weeks are the worst, I promise." His dad rubs a soothing hand down his back and he breaks.

May had come by on her way to work the previous day to help he and Harley go shopping but now she's at her own place. He's lucky he doesn't have to look her in the eye while he breaks down like this, but he can't bring himself to look at Harley or Pepper either. If he doesn't take the medicine he's going to have to see May later and tell her why, but if he does take it he feels floaty and alone and empty and ~~_dead_~~. And he's not ready to die yet. His hands are clawing at his dad's back because the tighter he grips him the harder it'll be for his dad to let him go and he's not ready to go.

"I don't wanna go. I don't wanna go... Dad, please. I don't— I'll calm down on my own _please_."

"Peter," Tony says, his voice cracking and his grip tightening. "Kiddo, you're all right. I've got you. You're not going anywhere. But you need to take your medicine."

He walks with Peter back towards the table where he picks up his own pill and swallows it dry, sticking his tongue out and showing his empty mouth afterwards.

"Your turn."

Peter looks from his dad back to the table slowly. Sees his pill in a cup sitting next to the plate of breakfast he's barely touched.

"Yeah, okay," he says trying to hype himself up, even with the tear tracks still drying on his face. "Fair is fair."

Peter picks up the small plastic cup, quickly tossing the pill into his mouth and rinsing it down with water then orange juice. His throat bobs as he swallows it downand he hopes he can keep it up. _The first few weeks are the worst._ He stands there for a second and his dad pats his back and looks at him expectantly.

"C'mon, open up. Let's see, Pete," Tony says. Peter knows it's not because his dad doesn't trust him, but because he's been acting like such a brat about this. Peter nods and opens his mouth showing that the pill is gone. He lifts his tongue and everything. "Thanks, bambino. Now let's finish breakfast and you and blondie-locks, over there, can get ready to get back into the rest of the world.

Peter glances over at Harley, because they'd built the Tower out of Legos and played video games, but they still weren't on good terms. Harley made a joke or two at his expense and he'd give a small upturn of his lips because the jokes weren't malicious, but they'd never...he'd never even properly apologized even after forcing Harley to hang out with him.

He was a terrible friend, shaping up to be an even worse brother, and he wondered if Pepper would still want him in her child's life. Though he couldn't imagine why she would.

"Pete, don't go getting lost in your head."

"I'm good. I'm right here," Peter says and this time he's almost certain that he means it. He's going to work on being more present. For May and his dad and Harley and Pepper and the child that she's carrying. He's going to be better. He's going to be the Peter they all deserve. His dad looks at him with narrowed eyes and after steeling his resolve, he takes a few bites of toast and finds it easier to crack a smile.


	11. [ eleven ]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wear your masks and gloves. wash your hands. stay 6 feet apart.
> 
> black lives matter ✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿

Tony should have known something was up when Peter didn't answer his phone. It's been less than a week since the Rogues had invited themselves into his home to invite him into theirs for dinner, but tonight is the night. Dinner with the Avengers. Before the snap, he's sure Peter would have been thrilled, but now the kid is nowhere to be found.

He's on his way back from a meeting with the principal of Midtown Academy to confirm Harley's enrollment since school starts in a couple of days when he tries to call Peter again, but the phone goes straight to voicemail. He calls Harley instead.

"Please tell me you're dressed."

"I am. Not sure about spider-baby, though."

Tony hears a muffled: "It's Spider- _Man_ " and lets out a breath now that he knows Peter is okay. He's not out somewhere swinging around in his suit running from this.

"Tell your brother to get dressed and learn to answer his damn phone. I was two seconds away from calling May."

There's a groan in the background of the call, but Harley doesn't seem impressed.

"He heard you. He said okay."

An even louder groan is heard and Tony laughs. At least he's not hurt. Things are getting better and Tony's glad for it.

"I'll be home in 5." There's shuffling on the other side of the phone and then Peter's voice is coming through not panicked but slightly anxious.

"Do you mind if I uh...Can I meet you in the garage?"

Tony knows that Peter's doing it because he misses him but also to scratch his itch to protect the people he cares about. The kids have been a lot clingier now that he knows that he can be without the threat of anyone berating him for it, especially after what they're now calling the _Breakfast Breakdown_ but he also gets this look on his face like he isn't all there. Like he's lightyears away on a planet he never should have been on fighting a big bad that Tony should have been able to protect him from.

They've come back to the Compound for a bit of scenery and a nice change of pace. It's nice having everyone there even if he doesn't sit with them much, if at all. It doesn't feel so much like a ghost town like when he and Nebula first landed.

"Yeah, kid. Meet me there." The phone clicks off as he pulls onto the property. He doesn't want to spend free time with Steve Rogers any more than Sam Wilson wants to spend time with _him,_ but he's trying not to feel like he's driving to his own funeral.

Peter is at the connecting door the second he pulls into his spot. Bursting in just as he cuts the purring of the engine.

"I would've been here sooner if I didn't get stopped by Captain Rogers. But," Peter adds happily, "you'll be glad to know I didn't punch him this time either."

"I'm both proud and surprised," Tony says with a grin as he walks over ruffling the kid's hair.

"As a matter of fact, I actually _thanked_ him for inviting us to dinner."

Tony smiles over at him with tears in his eyes. His smile grows softer. Fonder.

"I'm glad you're starting to feel like yourself again, Pete."

"Me too."

When they make it to Tony's quarters, Pepper is tugging off her work shoes for a pair of more comfortable flats and Rhodey is coming from the extra bedroom talking on the phone, they both smile when he comes in.

Pepper comes over to him and it's now that he realizes Peter has been tugged away by Harley to put on something that wasn't a science pun printed on a t-shirt.

"Hi," she says softly raising herself slightly on her tiptoes to press a chaste kiss on his lips.

"Well hello to you too, beautiful." He helps her take the pins out of her hair so the bun it was in falls into soft waves of strawberry blonde. "How was work?"

"Same as usual. Everyone's still adjusting, but it's better. You should come back to the tower before Monday so—"

"The boys can be close enough for school," he cuts in. "I know."

"Of course for that, but you should come and talk to some of the college interns in the R&D department too. A lot of them are still adjusting to being back or to getting their families back and they're using work as a way to find normalcy. And I know you know all about that."

"Guilty as charged." Tony smiles at her, then kisses her forehead. "I'll see what I can do. Maybe Pete and Harley could get to know them too."

"That sounds like a great idea. They always need a hand and the boys could use it for volunteer hours."

It's a beautiful thing knowing that you have people who know you better than you know yourself. People who can finish your sentences and still respect your thought process. People who love you. He smiles softly at her.

"Anything else, Ms. Potts?" he asks teasingly, but her gaze sharpens as if there was more. There's a small smile on her face but she still seems nervous.

"Actually, Tony, there is."

He raises an eyebrow at her serious tone, but he means it when he says: "Well, I'm all yours."

"Well you know how much I love Harley and Peter and now that everything has calmed down a little I think it's a good time to tell you that—"

There's a thump across the room as Rhodey drops his phone and grabs onto one of the bookshelves near the window before forcing himself into motion. Tony's eyes flick from his soon-to-be wife's face to his best friend...his husband, though he is still holding onto Pepper's hands.

"You okay over there, Honey Bear?"

Rhodey doesn't answer at first, because he's too busy rubbing his head and bumbling around for his shoes and jacket. Pepper's eyes are on him as well. She's hasn't seen him this worked up since Tony was trapped in a cave for three months with no way out and they'd had no idea how to help. He hadn't even looked this shaken up after the snap because somehow he was sure Tony would find a way to fix it. She's seen him disappointed and ecstatic and nervous, but it's been years since she's seen him this scared.

"Rhodey?" she asks, her grip strong in Tony's, but her eyes on their...well she isn't sure what to call him.

"Rhodes," Tony says, "you're freaking us out."

He looks up into Tony's eyes at that, tears clinging to his lashes.

"I...I have to go get Lila."

"Lila?" asks Pepper confused.

"His niece," Tony answers, but he squeezes her hands before dropping them and moving over to Rhodey. "What's going on? What happened?"

"Moms had a stroke."

Tony's arms are around Rhodey's torso before the man can even finish talking and it's as if the pressure is enough to break the dam because almost immediately he's sobbing into his shoulder.

"I just talked to her yesterday _,_ Tones, and she was fine. I called her to wish her a happy birthday and now... well now she's _not._ "

"This is not your fault, Rhodey," Pepper says from where she's wrapped both of her hands around one of his. "This will never be your fault."

"Correlation not causation," Tony says firmly, holding him tighter. Before pulling him away to look him in his eyes. Rhodey had been there for him for too long for him to not return the favor. "You want me to drive you to the hospital? And we can figure out where to go from there. Ma Rhodes is strong, she'll be fine." Tony's voice is strong with surety. "I just don't want you to have to go through this alone, trying to be the strong one."

Rhodey huffs a breath at that, the tear tracks still on his face, but a small smile cracks his face.

"You're one to talk, Stark."

"Yeah, but you were always there for me too."

There isn't much more that needs to be said. Tony moves to grab his jacket and Pepper takes his place hugging Rhodey and once she's given him a good squeeze, she's sending him off with Tony while she heads to the elevator to get a room sorted for Lila on Rhodey's floor.

Their family grows bigger every day. She wishes she was surprised.


	12. [ twelve ]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> stay safe  
> black lives matter ✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿

More than a month since half the population came into re-existence and Tony is not quite prepared for the day ahead of him. He is now one piece of an entire parental unit of not one, not two, but _three_ geniusteenagers. At least until Rhodey's mother is out of the hospital.

The boys are headed to Midtown, but Lila and Rhodey have both decided that staying at her own school is what's best for her.

Tony isn't sure that either of the kids have been out of his sight for more than a few hours and though this is just more of the same they're not just in the tower hiding out. They're out of his vicinity. He can't just pull Harley in to ruffle his hair if the kid is halfway across the borough.

He wants to be happy that he can help grant them all this slice of normalcy again, but another part of him wants to be greedy and keep them home, Rhodey and Pepper included, and let them properly feel everything. Especially Lila, who he isn't sure ever got the chance to take everything in over the weekend before she was being driven to the tower with Rhodey and a duffle bag full of clothes.

But it was just like a Rhodes to keep pushing through. There was a reason he and Rhodey had gotten so close back at MIT and one of them was his stubbornness.

He thinks about that same streak of defiance he saw in Pepper the first time they'd met when she'd completely verbally reamed him in front of his subordinates. He wonders offhandedly if maybe he has a type.

\--:--

Peter is the first to come out of his room to instead lie facedown on the couch, his bookbag leaning perilously on his back.

"You okay, kid?"

Peter groans in lieu of an answer. He doesn't know how to tell Tony that he was tired and things just didn't feel right anymore after having his cells rip themselves apart over and over again, even with the help of his antidepressants. He doesn't want to die but sometimes he feels like he should've just stayed there. That half the population should've come back and he should've stayed in whatever limbo they'd been lifted from.

Luckily the feeling isn't as loud and all-consuming as it was before he'd started dealing with his problems, so he feels good enough right now to let out an indistinguishable groan.

"You know," Tony says as if Peter had given him anything other than a groan to work with, "Happy said the same thing when I asked him. He only started talking again when I said I'd drive you and Harley to school for the week."

Peter snorts a laugh even though he hadn't meant to and tries to hide his smile in the cushion of the straight-back couch.

"Really, Pete, how you feeling? FRI said you had a nightmare last night."

"I told her not to tell you that."

"My AI is required to tell me all the important info about _my_ kids. What's going on?" He sits down next to where Peter's head is propped on his folded arms. A hand falls onto his head, starting to run through his curls. Peter looks up at his dad and the concern dripping from his eyes and he can't keep it to himself.

"I'm scared," he admits, his voice tiny in the big open space of the penthouse.

"Scared?" asks Tony looking around. "Scared of what?"

"The last time... Last time I was on the school bus I— I didn't come back."

His dad sucks in a breath and the hand soothing his nerves, if only a little, stalls in its path through the messy locks.

"Peter...kid...bambino, why didn't you say anything. We could have adjusted. Maybe a semester home or online or—"

"I _want_ to go back to school," Peter insists. "I just...I want to know that I'll come back home too."

"Even if I have to hunt you down and drag you back myself." Tony's voice is determined and it does bring another smile to Peter's face as he sits up properly on the couch, his book bag almost sending him sprawling against the floor before Tony grips a strap and tugs the other way.

"You're retired."

"Doesn't mean I'm going to let my little Spider-Baby out of my sight."

Peter attacks him in a hug, the weight of both he and his bag causing Tony to wheeze, though the older man doesn't let him go.

"Oh," says a deadpan voice that Peter has come to know as Harley's, "are y'all having a moment. Should I leave?"

Peter reluctantly pulls away, though Tony keeps a steady hand on his shoulder as he turns to look at Harley.

"What no hug for your old man on the first day of school, Patatino?"

Peter thinks it's the nickname that does it. He's heard Harley been called everything from _baby genius_ to _Tennessee_ to any permutation of the word _kiddo._ And though Tony will call Peter _bambino_ in a soft little voice it's been earned through pain and suffering and death and neither of them thought much of it.

But he guesses that for his brother, hearing their dad use his mother's language so freely with them is what proves that there are no walls left between them. They're really a family now and no superpowers or doom bots or evil titans could pull them apart. It takes a moment but a raised eyebrow from Tony sends Harley barreling over to the couch and into his arms.

Peter laughs and it feels so freeing that he doesn't even notice when Harley shoves an elbow into his side.

Peter doesn't know what will happen later while they're at school. He doesn't know if everything they've worked for will be destroyed by another mad Titan who snaps their fingers. What he does know is that he has his dad and his brother and Pepper and May and Uncle Rhodey and even Happy. And they're all there for each other.

Everything else will come after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for anyone who's interested,, im gonna be doing a youtube video reading comments & answering questions once i hit 4k followers on wattpad ( _currently at 3.92k_ )
> 
> so if yall have any questions, comments, concerns or like...anything else, you can drop a comment on any of my fics ( _here or wattpad_ ), tweet me with _#drarryrebelle_ , hmu on tumblr also @ _xxdrarryrebellexx_
> 
> i love hearing from yall & i think this'll be a cool way to interact


	13. [ thirteen ]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ima just leave this here ??

Pepper is sitting on the couch exhausted, rubbing a hand across her stomach when Tony gets back from dropping the boys off. He makes his way over and sits next to her on the couch, letting their thighs touch. He reaches a hand over and lays the back of it across her forehead as though he's trying to check her temperature.

"You feeling okay, Pep?" asks Tony, looking into her eyes closely. He moves the hand from her forehead to the side of her face. "You feeling sick? Want me to call Helen?"

"I'm fine, Tony. I actually...I've been trying to tell you this for a while, but with everything that's been going on..." she shakes her head. Tony grabs hold of one of her hands, bringing it to his lips for a soft kiss.

"So what's going on?"

"Tony," she starts before exhaling and looking into his eyes. He's blown away by the love and compassion he sees there. "I'm pregnant."

There are a million ways Tony has thought this moment might go. He's imagined laughing or screaming and calling Rhodey or being suave and saying something like _I know_ while explaining how with some Sherlock Holmes style antics, but when the moment presents itself, he does none of that. Tony Stark is faced with one of the loves of his life carrying his child and he cries. The smile on his face is immovable, even as tears roll down his reddened cheeks.

"You're pregnant!" he says back to her happily and now she's smiling and crying too. He pulls her in for a kiss then lifts her and spins her around. When he sets her back down his hands linger near her abdomen before she grabs them and places them on the tiny bulge of her stomach. When their eyes meet, Tony almost wants to cry again.

\--:--

Peter cries when he sees Ned and Michelle standing at his locker waiting for him.

"Hey, loser, you made it."

He sees her wipe tears from her eyes before smirking at him, but within one breath and the next, he's already wrapped in Ned's arms.

"And he said he didn't have any friends," says Harley behind him, but it's low enough that Peter knows he was the only one who heard it even if he wasn't supposed to.

Peter glances back to see his brother leaning against a locker and smiling at him. It's one of those smiles that says _I'm happy for you_ , but Peter can hear the loneliness resonating in it because it's the same smile he gave Tony when Harley had first gotten back with his mom and his sister.

Harley wants this for him, is happy for him, but he can see that his brother just wishes he knew where he fit in in Peter's school life. In _their_ school life now. Because as much as Peter thought it, they really _could_ be brothers soon. He knows that Tony has been signing adoption papers for Harley and discussing the idea of his with May.

It feels as natural as breathing to pull away from his best friend and introduce Harley as his brother.

"But you don't have a brother," says Michelle as Harley steps forward, his blond hair and crooked southern smile so different yet similar.

"I didn't," Peter corrects. Both Michelle and Ned nod, but he knows MJ hasn't dropped it quite yet.

"What's your name, loser?"

"Harley Keener," he throws an arm over Peter's shoulder a little more relaxed at the prospect of not being immediately rejected and he looks into Michelle's eyes.

"You don't sound like you're from around here."

"You caught me." He shrugs, yet the smile never leaves his face. She narrows her eyes at him.

"So what's your deal?"

"Shot a guy with a potato gun who turned out to be worth a lot of money."

"Convenient."

"Like you wouldn't believe."

"Hmm, you don't seem scared enough."

"Of you?"

"Of the rich guy's power." She pauses. "Or me."

"Nothing to be scared of."

"Why," she asks through a fake bark of laughter, "'Cause we're pretty?"

"'Cause Peter likes both of you. The men in our family seem to have a thing for the _intense_ type, but they have pretty good instincts."

" _Harley_ ," Peter whines, and Harley's smile widens exponentially, but Michelle has gone quiet.

"And you must be Ned," Harley says on a roll, looking the boy up and down before winking. Even knowing it's a joke makes Peter blush for his friend and elbow his brother in the side, dislodging his arm from around his shoulders. "That wasn't even flirty. That was friendly."

"Not even southerners are that friendly," Peter says, but Harley only laughs. "Please don't wink at my friends."

The two of them look back at Ned and Michelle who seem to be trying to come to terms with this new accented addition to Peter's life.

"Look! You broke them!"

As if spurred into action MJ blinks then turns around abruptly as her cheeks start heating up.

"I have to get my sketchbook from my locker." She glances back at Peter, finally letting a real smile creep onto her face. "I'm glad you're okay."

Once she's gone, both Ned and Harley turn to face Peter.

"Why're you not dating her yet?" asks Harley, but Peter ignores him in favor of answering Ned's question.

"Are you really okay?"

"Yeah," Peter confirms. "It's been a lot, dealing with being back and everything, but I'm good. What about you, man?"

"My parents were heartbroken, you know? So now they're like really protective. I don't even remember anything. One minute we were all on our field trip and the next we were in the middle of the museum but the exhibit was completely different and they weren't even open. Then when I got home my parents said that...that I'd died."

Ned looks like he's seconds from either crying or having an asthma attack. Peter opens his locker and grabs his friend's backup inhaler and holds it out to him. Ned smiles but shakes his head.

"I forgot you had that."

"I got a couple of EpiPens too."

Harley rolls his eyes, but he's smiling too even as he coughs out a teasing: _Dorks,_ that has Peter sticking his tongue out at him. For once, things feel safe and normal even though the two of them aren't at the tower. Peter knows that that should have been a sign.


	14. [ fourteen ]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :: **tw** : mention of a panic attack ::

Peter's spidey-sense has been blaring at practically everything since the snap and he doesn't know what to do about it. Though usually it helps protect him and keep him on his toes the constant buzzing has prevented him from sensing the very real danger of Flash pushing him into his locker, making his head slam against the metal. A migraine bursts behind his eyes at the sound of the metal clanging against his head and suddenly the lights are too bright.

"Welcome back, Penis!" Flash calls back as he makes his way cackling down the hall with his friends.

Peter rubs the sore spot on the side of his head, groaning, and wonders how everything is so different but still just the same. He looks up to let Ned and Harley know he's fine, but his brother has already taken off after the bully, his bracelets forming into miniature Iron Man gauntlets and Peter lets out another groan. He can't let Harley get detention on his first day. All of their parental figures would kill them.

"Meet you in class Ned. Gotta go save Flash from _IronLad_ ," he says with a roll of his eyes.

He runs without waiting for a response though he can hear Ned's surprised and excited laughter behind him. It's a nice opposition to the sound of Flash screaming as Peter rounds the corner.

"You got a problem with Peter?" Harley says, holding Flash away from the ground and agaist the wall with one gauntlet hand while the other is aimed at his friends who are trying to get the bully down.

"Harley," Peter says once he's taken in the sight, "Put him down."

"Parker! Call off your fucking attack dog!" Flash says panicked. "I was just kidding, you know that. Tell him!"

Peter can still feel the thrumming of his heart in his head from the pain of having his head forced into a metal locker. Harley looks at him like he knows it'd be a lie even if Peter did say it.

"S'this normal for you?"

School hasn't even officially started yet and Peter already wishes it was over so he can go back home and crawl into bed. He heaves a sigh. "C'mon, Harley, just leave him alone."

"Does Pops know?" the blonde says instead.

"Well..."

"Yes or no, Pete."

"Not in so many words."

Harley sends him an unimpressed look but still doesn't move to release Flash.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"He knows something is up, but I told him it was just from...you know."

Harley nods again but still doesn't let Flash go and the other guys have run, most likely to find a teacher.

"So you don't want to beat his ass 'cause of whatever responsibility you think you have and I get that. But I ain't got that same responsibility. Only folks I'm responsible for is you, Ava, and the old man."

Peter doesn't have anything to say to that and Harley knows it. Peter watches in a morbidly curious way as his brother retracts the gauntlet not holding Flash up and punches him square in the face.

And again. And _again_. "One for good luck and one to grow on," Harley explains after each punch.

He drops Flash to the floor and retracts the other gauntlet before stuffing his hands in his pockets. Peter looks from him to the boy on the floor with bruises blooming onto his face, crying about his parents and lawsuits.

"Ah man," Peter groans out, with his hands in his hair, "Dad is going to be so mad."

"Pops is going to say the jerk deserved it," argues Harley, with his hands still in his pockets. "And he _did_."

Peter's phone rings as if on cue, but it's drowned out by the sound of the school bell ringing above them. He grabs Harley's wrist and pulls the boy behind him to class as quick as he can, just as he hears Flash's friends return with what sounds like a teacher in tow.

"We're so dead."

"Worth it."

* * *

Tony's going to be a dad.

He's a dad already of course, but now he is going to be a stroller-pushing, bottle-feeding, diaper-changing kind of dad and that is a completely different ballgame. One that is brand new and kind of terrifying.

Tony had never really seen himself as a father, mostly because _his_ Father had never been much of one. He'd fit well enough into the role if Harley and Peter had anything to say about it, but they were both well out of their most formative years when he met them. He was helping shape young minds that had already been raised up and taught for him. Now it is his turn and he isn't sure if he's really up to the task.

Rhodey walks in around panic attack number 3.

"Tones, what the hell—" Rhodey says as he walks into the lab, but then he sees what's going on and rushes to Tony's side the best he can with the braces. "You need to breathe, okay? Can you do that for me?"

It isn't as bad as most of his other attacks and he comes down pretty easy, but he's absolutely drained by the time his breathing and heart rate are back under control. He's been having a hard time since that morning once he finally had a chance to be alone after Pepper had told him the news.

"Thanks, HoneyBear. So where have you been today? Get Lila to school alright?"

"Stopped by to see my mom and yeah, she got to school fine. What about you, you doing okay?" Rhodey asks ignoring Tony's attempt to brush it off and change topics. "What's going on?"

"I'm fine," Tony says and at Rhodey's look he gives a tired smile. "Okay, so I'm _kind of_ freaking out."

"Oh? I couldn't tell." Rhodey says sarcastically, an easy smirk on his face. Tony snorts out a laugh at that and Rhodey nudges him with his elbow. "Want to tell me what's got you so worked up?"

"Not really."

"Tony."

"Rhodey."

"Just tell me," Rhodey pleads.

"You're going to think I'm being stupid."

"Well are you?"

"...No?" says Tony but it sounds more like a question even to his own ears and Rhodey raises an eyebrow at him.

" _No_?"

"I— well _maybe_? It just...it sounds stupid," Tony compromises, "but it doesn't _feel_ stupid."

"I won't say it's stupid," he promises, "but I also can't help if you don't tell me what's going on."

"Do you think I'd be a good dad?"

"You're a _great_ dad, Tones, what're you talking about? We all know that. Those boys loves you. The bots love you. Even Nebula loves you, and she doesn't love anything."

Tony laughs at that.

"I'm serious," he says looking away from Rhodey with a small smile on his face.

"So am I. Where is this coming from? Did one of those assholes say something?"

"No one said anything."

"Okay, well did something happen?"

Tony sucks in a breath. "Pep is pregnant."

"Tony, that's great! Congratulations! And like I said before, you're a great dad. You'll be fine. Plus you're not alone in this, you have Pepper, and the boys, and—"

"And you?" he asks with a shaky voice even though he doesn't mean to feel so nervous.

"And me," Rhodey agrees. "I'm not going anywhere either."

Something about that has Tony breathing even easier. Knowing he isn't doing this alone and that he'll be surrounded by people he loves and people who love him and believe in him when no one else does.

"We're going to have a baby," Tony says. Then he smiles just as giddy as the first time Pepper had told him that morning. "We're going to have a **_baby_**!"

Rhodey leans onto the workable with his arms crossed and a smile on his face as he watches Tony try and fails to talk himself out of designing a state of the art crib.

They were having a baby and it felt right.


	15. [ fifteen ]

Peter and Harley make it through exactly two classes without even seeing a hint of Flash and his goons before they're finally called to the principal's office.

Harley is walking with his hands in his pockets trying to follow the direction of Peter's emotional panic.

"We're dead," Peter gripes. "We are _so_ dead."

"That Flash asshole is going to be dead when Pops sees the size of the bruise on your forehead. Super healing or not, that shit is _massive_."

"The what..?" Peter reaches a tentative hand to his forehead and sucks a breath in through his teeth when his fingers make contact with the sore spot. "Ow."

"If I didn't know better, Pete, I would think you were a fucking idiot."

" _Harley,_ " he whines.

"I'm serious. You go around saving people but you let him push you around? This is a STEM school. We're all fuckin' nerds. He could pick anybody. what reason does he have to bother _you_? And why the hell do you let him? Don't tell me it really is some misplaced idea of...of I don't know, responsibility or penance or whatever because I will kick your ass myself."

"It's just not worth the drama," Peter explains, shaking his head. "Flash doesn't have the best relationship with his parents, you know? And if he wants to take his anger out on someone, I'd rather it'd be me than one of the other kids who _can't_ take it the same way I can."

"Pete you _can't_ 'take it' if you're walking around covered in scars and bruises. You shouldn't even _have to '_ take it'. Just tell someone."

Harley is stomping down the hall now. He's not acting as laid back as he was before and Peter can tell that this is a serious topic for his brother even if he doesn't think so, but he isn't sure how else to explain it. He thinks that maybe this is just something they won't agree on.

"It's complicated, I guess," Peter says looking away somewhat guilty.

"What's so complicated about fucking reporting him for bullying?"

"I don't want to put anyone else in danger."

Harley freezes in his tracks and though Peter hears when the _thunk, scuff, thunk_ of his work boots stop, he keeps going until he knows for a fact Harley isn't coming with him. He turns to face the slightly older boy who stares at him with anger and hurt and something else he can't quite describe.

"I don't care about any of these kids, Pete, I just met them. But I know _you_ ; I care about _you_. And I don't want you putting yourself in danger either."

"Harley, I can't—"

"You ever think that he keeps doing this to you because you let him?"

Now it's Peter's turn to freeze. "What?"

"I mean, if he really wanted to bully people, you getting in the way wouldn't stop him, but he left Ned alone. I'm the new kid and he left me alone. Why won't he leave _you_ alone?"

Peter can feel Harley watching him as the realization sets in.

"Because I've shown him I'm an easy target." His voice is quiet but Harley hears him then steps closer and wraps an arm around him, turning so that they're walking back in the direction of the office again.

"But you aren't an easy target, are you, Petey?"

"Please don't call me that."

"That doesn't sound like an answer."

Peter opens his mouth to respond when he hears the unmistakable sound of his dad's suit repulsors.

"Oh shit! Dad's totally going to kill Flash."

"Thanks for catching up, genius," Harley says. They look at each other with goofy yet challenging grins before taking off in sprints down the hall.

Their steps aren't heavy as they run and skid around corners trying to beat the sound of metal boots connecting with the concrete outside of the school. Making it to the front of the building does nothing to hold off their dad, however. They do beat him to the front office and Pete considers it a tiny victory.

"Getting involved in a fight on the first day of school?" tsks the woman at the front desk. "That's not like you, Peter."

"I know, Janice. The last few months have been a lot, you know? Is Mr. Morita in his office?"

"Yeah, you can go on back." She eyes Harley wearily, but Peter doesn't think she knows him well enough to know what is or _isn't_ like him. "I'll send May back once she gets here."

He was really hoping they hadn't called May too. Flash was an asshole, but he didn't deserve the full brunt of the Parker-Stark CoParenting Team. At least they hadn't called Pepper too.

At Peter's panicked face, Harley turns to Janice and starts talking. "Our...joint guardian is probably going to get here first, so you can send him back too. Angry, loud, has a goatee. You won't be able to miss him."

As Harley explains, a twinge of panic, hide, _run!_ rushes down Peter's spine and seconds later, the lobby door opens to reveal a tall angry, blond man in a suit. The man makes his way straight for the boys still standing in front of the desk. He looks menacing in the way he seems to glare down at them. He looks at them from head to toe before scoffing and tugging at the collar on Harley's shirt in disgust while talking down to them.

"Are you the little brats that thought they could—"

"You have five seconds to get your hand off of my kid or this is going to be a very different kind of meeting," says a voice and Peter feels the relief wash through him like a tidal wave, but Flash's dad doesn't move. "Did I say five? I meant three. Two..." Tony lifts a hand, his watch forming into an Iron Man gauntlet.

"Dad!" Peter says, panicked.

"Kinda busy here, Pete." Tony takes a step closer and Peter pulls Harley away from Flash's dad, though the grip he'd had on Harley's collar rips the fabric a bit.

"We're fine, Dad. Look," insists Peter. Unluckily for him, Tony listens.

"Peter, what the hell is that on your face?" His dad is in front of him in seconds, grabbing him by the chin and turning his head this way and that to get a look at the dark bruise blossoming across his head. "You better be glad May couldn't make it, because she'd do more than pull out a gauntlet."

Peter is both relieved and ten times as tense all at once. When he looks to Harley his brother looks away as if to say _I told you so_ and Peter wishes they would have discussed sticking together.

"Mr. Morita is waiting for all of you," says Janice just as monotoned yet disappointed as always.

Flash's dad pushes by all of them with all the drama and concealed anger Peter is used to seeing in Flash and a part of him wants to protect his bully from whatever is about to happen. Even so, he and Harley follow his lead to Principal Morita's office, their dad bringing up the rear. The door to the office closes behind them with a resounding bang and Peter can feel the anxiety clawing back up his throat.

There are 2 chairs in Morita's office. Peter watches as Tony and Flash's dad each take one.

"Mr. Thompson, Mr. Stark," starts Principal Morita after clearing his throat, "I'm sorry to have called you here during what I assume are very busy work hours for each of you."

"If you were actually sorry," Mr. Thompson says, "you wouldn't have called."

Peter and Harley watch almost as in slow motion as their dad bristles at the comment. Neither of them was unlucky enough to have ever met Howard Stark. The man was long gone before either of them was even conceived. However, it'd be hard to be a part of this new family and not know all the scars he had left in his wake.

"Well do either of you gentlemen know why we're here today," continues Principal Morita uneasy yet unaware of the anger now boiling beneath Tony's skin.

"I'm hoping it's to figure out why my kid has a bruise the size of Texas and a knot on his head."

" _Your_ kid?" Mr. Thompson scoffs. "Look at what they've both done to _my_ son."

Tony glances over at Flash with little to no emotion playing on his face. Peter knows he understands but he's also pissed off that he and Harley were involved in some other kid's drama.

"Can't be worse than what you've probably done to him." Tony stands up, looking back at Principal Morita. "So how many days does Harley get?"

"I'm sorry?" asks Mr. Morita.

"For beating that kid like a bongo drum," he explains. "How long is Harley going home for?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Stark, but this isn't just a matter of one versus the other. It looks as though Mr. Parker and Mr..." he checks his notes, "Keener were _both_ involved in the incident which would imply that—"

"I don't give a rats ass what it _implies_. I know my kids. Peter, did you hit...What's your name kid?"

"Uh...Eu-Eugene Thompson, sir."

"Peter, did you hit _Eugene_?"

"Don't put me on the spot like this," Peter whines. "Can we just say it was my fault? I was in the way and—"

"Did you hit him, Pete? Yes or no."

"No."

"Mr. Stark, I don't see how—" Mr. Morita tried to interrupt, but their dad kept going, not looking away from Principal Morita.

"Harley, did _you_ hit Eugene?"

"Yeah," Harley says with a shrug of his shoulders. "He slammed Pete's face into a locker."

"So," Tony says, magnanimously, "how many days does Harley have?"

In the end, both Harley and Flash get 3 days for bullying and an extra 2 for 'fighting'. Tony and Harley agreed that a week at home for protecting Peter was worth it. Even if it meant all of their faces were plastered all over the internet, Peter and Harley being labeled as _Tony Stark's Bastard Children_.

When Tony sees it, he groans. "Pep is not going to like this."


	16. [ sixteen ]

"Tony," says Pepper angrily, walking into the room in a pair of chunky heels that look professional though much sturdier than her usual footwear. "Can you tell me why I just read on no less than 12 websites that you are the biological father of both Harley _and_ Peter and it's been kept under wraps for 15 years?"

"Hi, Pep, how're you?" Tony has his head in Rhodey's lap as he tinkers with a metal cube he'd fabricated in the lab. If he's done his job right, it should unfold into a full-sized stroller.

"How am I? _How am I?_ Did you not hear anything I just said?"

Peter and Harley make eye contact from opposite ends of the couch before getting up and attempting to make an exit.

"And where do you two think _you're_ going?"

"Bathroom," Harley lies.

"Calling May," says Peter.

Pepper narrows her eyes at both of them but shoos them off anyway. Tony sits up then, catching up to what he supposes Pepper thinks is a serious conversation.

"You seem angrier than the situation warrants."

"Ah man," groans Rhodey as he leans his head against the back of the couch.

"You don't think I should be angry at the prospect of you _lying_ to me? For _years_."

"Considering I didn't lie to you—"

She narrows her eyes at him. He can tell she has a rebuttal from years of being his assistant.

"—about this. I never lied to you _about this_. I told you before, they're my kids. But not biologically. I wouldn't lie to you about that, Pep."

"Are you sure?" Pepper insists narrowing her eyes. "Because Peter... Sometimes I'll look at him when I'm making coffee in the morning and— Tony, he looks just like you."

"No, he doesn't," Tony laughs. "You're projecting."

"I am _not—"_

"Yes, you are. Tell'er Rhodey." At the silence, Tony looks back over at his best friend astonished. "Et tu, Platypus?"

"He's like a spitting image of you freshman year at MIT," Rhodey defends.

"Well, he's not. He's mine, but not like that. You think I didn't do the blood work as soon as I met the kid? I'm not an idiot. I knew his mom...the way I got to know just about everybody back then. He's not—" Tony huffs a breath and shakes his head. "Kid looks nothing like me."

"So they're just rumors?" asks Pepper getting to the root of the situation.

"Yeah, Harley punched the kid that's been bullying Pete at school and I had to go pick them up. They both got a couple of days home."

"So, what, you think they saw you leaving the school with the boys and assumed?"

"No, I took the suit. Happy drove them home. But..." Tony looks past Pepper for a moment too long before he starts talking again. "The other kid's dad is like...like a Howard wannabe. Hates that things didn't go his way. Probably ran to the press first chance he got."

"You took the suit." She isn't asking. If anything it sounds more like an accusation as if he really must be an idiot.

"Yes?"

"You got a call from our sons' high school and you _flew there._ In an _Iron Man suit._ "

"Uh," says Tony, looking back into her eyes confused, "yes?"

"Tony!"

"What the hell, Tones?"

"I'm sorry, someone please explain what I did wrong this time."

"Oh, nothing," Pepper says in a voice that clearly says it's not _nothing_. "This is just going to make dealing with PR about 20 times more difficult."

"Not to mention we have to deal with Ross now too," Rhodey throws in. "You're a retired super now, Tones. Based on the accords, you have to alert the UN or Ross or literally _anyone_ before you go firing your repulsors."

"No," says Tony firmly. "You both don't get to try to make me feel guilty for this."

"We're not trying to—"

"No ones trying to guilt you."

"Sometimes you just don't think before you do things and—"

"No," Tony says again. "I did think. And what I thought was it's the first day of classes and the school was calling me and if there was anything going on with my kids I needed to be there."

He can feel the panic creeping up his throat and he has a moment to growl before the attack really starts to set in. Tony stares at the ground angrily. _This will pass,_ he tries telling himself. _The boys are fine._ But something in his panic induces paranoia, makes him think that maybe the boys aren't fine. Maybe Harley hates him for not bringing his Mom and sister back. Maybe Peter is still dust. Maybe this is all some kind of trick to get him to let down his guard and that's when the enemy will strike. Though in this state he can't imagine an enemy that isn't cloaked in the red, white, and blue of the American flag, and that just makes his panic _worse._

"Dad!" says Peter as he and Harley come running back into the room.

Tony's eyes immediately fly to their faces. Being able to see that they're okay helps to alleviate some of the pressure from his chest while they all wait for the attack to finally pass. Rhodey and Pepper are sitting on either side of him, rubbing his shoulder and holding his hand respectively. Pepper raises his hand to her lips, kissing the knuckles and it helps to ground him a little more.

"Dad," Harley says sitting right in front of him, "you need to breathe."

"Here's some water." It's Peter talking this time, presenting Tony with a bottle from the fridge after having flipped over the back of the couch.

_This will pass_ , Tony tells himself again. _We're fine. We're all fine._

It's been a while since he's had a panic attack quite this bad, but he finds it much easier to breathe after that. He reaches his free hand out to grab the water bottle from Peter and takes a gulp, holding the water in his mouth for a second to give himself something more to focus on.

_Sip._

_Hold._

_Breathe._

_Swallow._

_Repeat._

When he's halfway through the bottle, Rhodey takes it from him to sit it on the coffee table.

Tony feels himself settle back into his body, but he drags along a bone-deep tiredness now and he slumps his shoulders into his lovers' embrace. They both catch a grip on him easily. They've been doing this for years. Holding him. Protecting him. Taking care of him.

It's blissful, he decides as he eases into an unbidden sleep, having people taking care of him. Having a family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _i make no promises for when this fic will be over. though i wish it could be done by the end of the year even i know that's asking for too much of myself. hope y'all like it anyway._


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